Improvement in devices for increasing traction of locomotives



2Sheets--Sheet1.

.l. W. MURPHY.

Device for Increasing Traction of Lo comotivas. No. 164,863; P'ntedjune22,l875.

WlTNESSES TOR THE GRAPHIC C(LPHOTO-LITPLGQHMH PARK PLACLN-Y.

2Shee ts--Sheet2.. J. W. MURPHY. Dance for ln-creasin g Traction ofLocomotives.

" Patented June 22,1875.

INVENIOR THE GRAPHIC COPHO D L|TH.39&4-'I PARK PLAGE,N.Y.

U ITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

JOHN W. MURPHY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

IMPROVEME INT IN DEVICES FOR INCREASING TRACTIONDF LOCOMOTIVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 164,863, dated June 22,L875; application filed December 10, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. IVIURPHY, of Baltimore, in the State ofMaryland, have invented a new and useful Device for Increasing theTraction of Locomotives, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to a device for increasing the tractionoflocomotive-engines; and it consists in the "combination of a verticalcylinder and piston, a cross-head, and a system of levers, by which aportion of the weight of the tender, or of the front of the locomotive,or any other adjacent load, can be transferred to the driving-wheels, soas to increase their pressure upon the rails.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of alocomotive and tender, illustrating the application of my invention.Fig. 2 is a plan of the running-gear of the same. Fig. 3 is a verticaltransverse section on the line 3 3, Fig. 1.

My invention may be applied to a locomotive, A, and tender B of commonform, 0 represents a steam-cylinder, with a piston, D, workingvertically therein, The rod E is connected with cross-heads F, whichbear upon the adjacent ends of. two pairs of levers, G H, fulorumed at gh, respectively; The free ends of the levers G engage beneath the frameof the tender B. The free ends of the levers H are connected with thetruck T, or other suitable part of the front of the locomotive. At anyconvenient points between the fulcrums g and the forward ends ofthelevers G, to which the power is applied, the said levers bear upon theboxes I of the drivingwheels J. In like manner the levers H, at pointsbetween the fulcrums h and the rear ends of the said levers, to whichpower is applied to them, bear upon the boxes I of the driving-wheels J.

Steam is admitted to the upper end of the cylinder G above the piston D,at the will of the engineer, by a suitable valve-connection, and it maybe exhausted into the atmosphere. The lower end of the cylinder may beopen to the air, though these details are not essential to my invention.

When it is desired to increase the traction upon the driving-wheels,steam is admitted to the upper end of the cylinder 0, so as to bear downuponthe adjacent ends of the levers G H with any desirable force.

It will appear that, by reason of the longer arms of the levers restingbeneath t'hesuperincumbent weight of the tender and the front part ofthe locomotive, and the relative positions of the bearings of thedriving-wheels, the fulcrums g h and the adjacent ends of the levers GH, to which the power is applied, the weight of the tender and of thefront of the 10- comotive is caused to act upon the bearings of theaxles with a powerful leverage, so that, through the agency of thesteam-piston D, a great increase of pressure can be applied by a slightmovement of the piston D, without impairing the steadiness upon thetrack of the tender B or the truck T, on which the front of thelocomotive rests.

I claim as new and of my invention-- 1. The combination of verticalcylinder 0, piston D E, cross-head F, and longitudinal levers G G,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the cylinder 0, piston D E, cross-head I and tWosets of levers, G G H H, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

JOHN IV. MURPHY.

